Andy Serkis shared his initial response when considered for the role of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films. Despite his first reaction not being positive, he played Gollum/Smeagol in all three Lord of the Rings movies and reprised the role in the first Hobbit film. The trilogy was a global hit and critically acclaimed, with The Return of the King winning Best Picture at the 2004 Oscars. Serkis’ portrayal of Gollum has always been highly praised.
At a Fan Expo San Francisco panel, Serkis revealed he wasn’t initially keen on playing Gollum as he hoped for other roles. He thought it was just for the voice at first. But after Peter Jackson explained the motion capture process, he became more interested. He described how he approached the role, getting into its psychology, physicality, and voice, and even shared how his cat inspired Gollum’s voice.
In The Lord of the Rings, Gollum was a corrupted Hobbit who played a crucial role in Frodo and Sam’s journey. Serkis’ performance as Gollum was revolutionary and made the character iconic. The use of motion capture technology was also groundbreaking. After the trilogy, Serkis played other motion capture characters.
Serkis’ initial reaction is ironic now as he’s famous for Gollum. That role changed his career and led to many new opportunities, and he may play Gollum again as the director of an upcoming related project.
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